An urgent appeal for the humanitarian release of Dawn Michelle Hunt and Nelson Wells Jr.
A letter from Tim Hunt.
“My sister, Dawn Michelle Hunt is incarcerated in Guangdong, China, Women’s Prison. She was arrested in 2014 and charged with smuggling, a charge she vehemently denies.
Dawn Michelle’s ordeal began when she was tricked into believing she had won an all-expenses paid trip to Hong Kong. She didn’t believe it at first but checked out the company and thought they were legitimate.
The person organizing her prize sent her airline tickets to Hong Kong and she stayed there nine days with all expenses paid. Her trip was extended to visit mainland China and then Australia. Before she left mainland China for Australia, Dawn Michelle was told that she also won some designer purses. Trusting the organizers, who for two plus weeks have been gracious to her, she took the purses and packed them in luggage given to her by the organizers, as the luggage she brought with her was already full.
It was at the airport, waiting to board her flight to Australia, that airport security searched her luggage and found drugs sewn into the purse linings.
Dawn Michelle was detained in a Chinese detention center where she awaited a trial for 3 years. At her trial the judge acknowledged she was duped but stated that she should have known better and found her guilty. She received the “death penalty with two years reprieve”. Her sentence has since been changed to life in prison. This is her 11th year in prison.
Dawn Michelle has become ill and has not received appropriate healthcare. Our father is 91 and in ailing health. She must come home!
Since her incarceration, I have written hundreds of letters to officials, lawyers and anyone else who would listen. We’ve gotten our hopes up over the years, only to be disappointed, again and again.
I’ve come to learn that Chinese law allows for the transfer of prisoners out of China and it doesn’t require a bilateral prisoner extradition treaty. Our American government simply has to ask for a humanitarian release and the release of other wrongfully detained Americans.”
You can help bring Dawn Michelle home. Please share her story on your social media to help gain her release.
Thank you,
The Hunt Family
The case has been formally referred to the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, with additional review by the Committee on the Judiciary. These committees are responsible for evaluating the relevant legal and human rights provisions tied to Dawn Michelle’s case.
This step means congressional review is actively underway, and the issue is now within the jurisdiction of key committees that oversee foreign policy, justice, and the protection of Americans abroad.
In a letter dated October 3, 2024, multiple U.S. government representatives appealed to President Joe Biden to prioritize the release of Americans wrongfully detained in China, including Dawn Michelle Hunt. The letter outlines the inhumane conditions these Americans face and the lack of due process in their trials. It urges the U.S. government to engage in high-level diplomatic efforts to bring these citizens home.
The families of the detained have spoken out about their loved ones’ suffering, demanding immediate action from the U.S. government to stop unjust imprisonments and exit bans in China. Dawn Michelle Hunt’s case is highlighted as one of the most urgent.
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